On sale 7%
Sony E RF-16-AL 16mm
Its pancake design measures just 22mm long, making the 16mm f/2.8 prime exceptionally portable for Sony NEX cameras while delivering a 24mm equivalent field of view. The fast f/2.8 aperture and 83-degree angle of view suit tight interiors and expansive scenes, though image quality scores remain modest for critical work. This lens is best for casual APS-C shooters wanting a pocketable, affordable wide-angle for travel and everyday snapshots.
Focal length 16mm
Aperture 22
Mount Canon RF
Weight 472 g
af type Autofocus
lens type prime
37 Overall Score
Price $258
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong social proof (92th percentile) 92th
Cons
- Below average bokeh (16th percentile)
- Below average aperture (24th percentile)
- Below average macro (30th percentile)
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews — so you can see whether early praise held up.
Owner sentiment has cooled since launch
Based on 53 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | prime |
| Focal Length Min | 16 |
| Focal Length Max | 16 |
| Elements | 9 |
| Groups | 7 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | 22 |
| Min Aperture | 2.8 |
| Constant | Yes |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
Build
| Mount | Canon RF |
| Format | full-frame |
| Weight | 0.5 kg / 1.0 lbs |
| Filter Thread | 43 |
AF & Stabilization
| AF Type | Autofocus |
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 130 |
| Max Magnification | 0.078x |
vs Competition
| Spec | Sony E RF-16-AL 16mm | Sigma Contemporary 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | Tamron Di III 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD | Nikon Nikkor 2166 | Viltrox 13mm F1.4 f/1.4 E STM Auto Focus Ultra Wide Angle | Panasonic LUMIX S S-R28200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 16mm | 16-300mm | 18-300mm | 55-200mm | 13mm | 28-200mm |
| Max Aperture | 22 | f/3.5 | f/3.5 | f/4 | f/1.4 | f/4 |
| Mount | Canon RF | Sony E | Fuji X | Nikon F | Sony E | L-Mount |
| Stabilization | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Weather Sealed | false | true | false | false | false | true |
| Weight (g) | 472 | 615 | 92 | 255 | 415 | 413 |
| AF Type | Autofocus | HLA | VXD linear motor | Silent Wave Motor | STM | Autofocus |
| Lens Type | prime | zoom | zoom | telephoto | Wide-Angle | macro |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Af | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony E RF-16-AL 16mm | 54.5 | 15.7 | 52.5 | 29.6 | 39.6 | 24.4 | 34.2 | 91.7 | 36 |
| Sigma Contemporary 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Compare | 54.5 | 84.3 | 59 | 85.9 | 98.9 | 76.9 | 99.6 | 78 | 99.1 |
| Tamron Di III 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD Compare | 98.3 | 74.9 | 96.6 | 87.7 | 74.6 | 76.9 | 99.2 | 83.1 | 81.3 |
| Nikon Nikkor 2166 Compare | 54.5 | 69.6 | 77.4 | 81.3 | 66.8 | 71.2 | 85.3 | 83.1 | 92.6 |
| Viltrox 13mm F1.4 f/1.4 E STM Auto Focus Ultra Wide Angle Compare | 86.9 | 96.6 | 42.1 | 89.4 | 82.6 | 96.4 | 34.2 | 74 | 81.3 |
| Panasonic LUMIX S S-R28200 Compare | 54.5 | 77.8 | 74.5 | 70.8 | 91.2 | 71.2 | 95.6 | 62.2 | 99.5 |
Price
Value & Pricing
From $258
Newegg 1 offers From $258
Adorama 1 offers From $278
B&H Photo 1 offers From $599
Amazon 1 offers From $1,076
Price History
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
